Brendan Rodgers: Joe Allen is a Welsh Xavi

I would have paid many millions more for this kid. He’s unique in that he’s a British player who is incredible on the ball

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers

Liverpool boss Rodgers – who landed the midfielder from his old club Swansea – has likened Allen, 22, to the Spanish playmaker.

Rodgers may have rolled out the red carpet for the Welsh international – but he was in danger of pulling it from under his feet by comparing him to the Nou Camp superstar.

Xavi has made more than 600 appearances for Barcelona, winning six La Liga titles and three Champions League winners’ medals, as well as being capped 119 times for his country and starring in Spain’s double-European Championship and World Cup-winning teams.

That leaves a lot for Allen to live up to but Rogers insisted: “I would have paid many millions more for this kid. He’s unique in that he’s a British player who is incredible on the ball.

“His body work is very intelligent and for a 22-year-old it’s frightening. He’s incredible.”

That sort of praise would make many young stars crumble but Allen has so far lived up to his top billing and has never once been daunted by the lavish praise from the boss.

Allen said: “I know how he wants to go about getting this team playing, so that was only a good thing for me and it meant that I didn’t have to change too much.

“And settling into a new club it was ideal. There was no pressure on my shoulders at all.

“It was a new situation for me but I told myself not to let the comments affect me and to just play the way I had been playing.

“It can be difficult when you join a new club and move into a new environment but this is a football club which is full of fantastic people.

“And I have been made especially welcome and that’s helped a lot.”

Liverpool’s fans have taken quickly to the midfield pass-master.

Pass and move has been an Anfield obsession since the days of Bill Shankly and Allen’s ability to keep possession has helped vindicate his manager’s words.

“He is 5ft 6ins but in terms of being a footballer he is 7ft 6ins. He’s absolutely immense. His courage in getting on the ball, how he reads the game and his football intelligence is outstanding.

“We paid £15m for him and I said that very quickly that price would double and people probably laughed at me.

“But he will play here for many years and the supporters will love this kid.”

Rodgers also hit back at pundits who have criticised Allen for playing too conservatively.

Match of the Day analyst Alan Shearer highlighted the newly-crowned Welsh Player of the Year’s reluctance to take chances but Rodgers rapped: “I saw something criticising Joe Allen for not playing risk passes.

“Unbelievable – so-called pundits who don’t know the dynamics of a team and how it functions.

“Joe’s role is to keep the ball. And that, in Britain, is a special talent. It is why Paul Scholes is still playing to his age. It is such a rare talent for a midfielder to rarely give the ball away.

“People have talked about him and his fee but in time he will be an absolute bargain.

“He will have a long career here. He’s a wonderful talent and over time people will see what facets he’s got in his game.

“Where we have been really pleased with Joe is with his tactical discipline. Maybe he’s never going to score as many as Steven Gerrard but he’s certainly got quality going forward.

“Offensively, he has far more than what a lot of people have seen, just because he’s having to play a more sitting role at the moment.

“I have played him in there because he knows how to control the game. He is courageous and will go and get the ball in any area.

“It is his tactical discipline to stay and keep the shape of the team and offer the passing line, which has been really good though.

“Because of that we haven’t seen everything he can do going forward – but we will.”